Paint pail support



Aug. 10, 1954 ETHORSON 2,686,032

PAINT PAIL SUPPORT Filed March 16. 1951 INVENTOR Edward Tho/son ATTORNEYPatented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE V PAINT PAILSUPPORT Edward Thorson, St. Paul, Minn. Application March-I6, 1951,Serial No. 216,078

1 i This invention. relates in general to paint bucket supports forladders, and pertains more particularly to a support that may be readilymounted on a ladder of conventional construction.

Where ladders are used in painting. buildings and the like, it iscontinually necessary to move the ladders to new positions as the workprogrosses. To avoid spillage of the paint, it is highly desirable thatthe: paint bucket be firmly supported on the ladder in a simple. yetreadily removable manner; Devices have been employed which must besecured to the ladder ina permanent or semi permanent fashion, but itwill be apparent that these devices entail considerable inconveniencewhere the painter must move to new vertical locations on the ladder.Devices of a detachable nature have also been employed, but they havenot afforded the security of retention essential for general jabbing.

Accordingly, an; object of the present invention is to provide a paintbucket support of simple construction, that can be easily attached toconventional ladders.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support that willsecurely hold the bucket both while painting and while moving theladder; yet permitting its ready removal from the support when desired.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the support can bereadily fabricated from ordinary sheet metal stock.

Another feature of the invention resides in the use of hook meansengaging both a rung and a side frame member of the ladder, such hookmeans being so designed that the bucket will be firmly supported in anupright manner.

Still another feature of the present invention lies in the employment ofmeans for engaging either the sides of the bucket or its rim, therebyassuring retention of the bucket when the ladder is tilted into variouspositions.

Another feature of the invention provides for the accommodation of paintpails of different diameters.

The above objects, and other objects of my invention will be made moreapparent hereinafter, are obtained by structure subsequently to bedescribed and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention, theladder to which the device is attached being shown fragmentarily.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

5 Claims. (01. 248-211.)

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing,. it will be seen that mybucket supporting device comprises a generally vertical member l-ll,prefierably of sheet material, the member Ill having a perpendicularlyturned lower portion l2 upon which the bottom of a paint bucket mayrest. To assure retention of the bucket upon the lower or base portion12, there is provided a band member [4 which may be secured to thevertical section 10 in any convenient manner, such as by welding or bythe illustrated rivets I6.

Inorder to accommodate various sizes of paint buckets, theband or strapmember is is adjustable into different diameters by means of awing 1 nutl8 and screw 26, the screw passing through a pair of apertures (notvisible) in the band member l4. However, a pair of spaced apertures isrepresented at 22 and 23. For example, the particular adjusted positionillustrated may denote the proper size for a quart can of paint,while-if the aperture 22 is used, then the band [4 would be of theproper size to receive, say, a half gallon can of paint. Use of theaperture 23 would permit accommodation of, for instance, a gallon can.

The supporting device is supported vertically by a rearwardly extendinghook 24 situated adjacent the upper end of the vertical section l0. Itwill be noted that the hook 24, which may be an extension of the section10, is curved to engage a rung 26 of the ladder. To maintain the sectionl0 vertical, or substantially so, a laterally projecting arm 28 isemployed. This arm may form an integral part of the center section IE),or it may be affixed to the section ill in the same manner selected forsecuring the strap M in place, a pair of rivets 30 being shown. The arm28 is curved forwardly and is bent at 32 and 34 to form a channel whichabuts against the side frame 36 of the ladder.

In this way the device in general depends from the rung 26, there beingan inherent pivoting of the device about the rung to urge the channeledend of the arm 28 into abutting engagement with the frame 35. It will beperceived that the supporting structure may be easily attached to aladder, the painter only having to place the hook 24 over the rung 26while guiding the channeled end of the arm 28 into engagement with theframe 36.

For still further protection against displacement of the paint bucket orcan, the section l0 may be provided with an ear or forwardly extendingportion 38 which is designed to overhang the rim of the bucket. Thus, itwill be seen that the device may be constructed to insure againstdisplacement of the paint bucket in any direction, yet still permittingready removal of the supporting structure itself from the ladder.

A pin or hook may be welded or otherwise secured to the arm 28 forengaging the brush handle. Such a member is designated by the referencenumeral 35 in Figure 1, the hook being shown in dotted outline becauseof its concealed position.

In the embodiment pictured in Figure 2, the basic structure is the sameas in the preceding embodiment and corresponding parts have been giventhe same reference numerals. However, a different means is provided forkeeping the bucket in place upon the lower or base portion [2, thisbeing a hook portion 40 located at the upper end of the main section towhich is downturned to embrace the rim or lip of the paint can. It willbe understood that the paint can is merely tilted slightly to bring itsrim into proper engagement with the hook 40. In many instances, theembodiment of Figure 2 will serve to adequately retain the paint can inplace upon the base portion l2.

Instead of the hook 35, a suitable means for holding the brush when notin use may constitute a looped spring 42 having its ends receivedthrough a pair of small apertures 44, the ends being preferably turnedoutwardly to prevent disengagement. The turns of the spring 42 willreadily yield to accommodate the brush handle upon insertion of thehandle within the loop.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my paint pail support and while I haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that this is only illustrative thereof and that obviouschanges may be made within the scope of the following claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A paint bucket support for ladders comprising an elongated strip ofsheet material formed to provide a substantially horizontally extendingbottom portion, a generally vertically extending portion, and arearwardly extending hook portion designed to extend over the rung of aladder, a forwardly projecting finger member at the upper end of saidvertical portion designed to extend over the rim of a can supported uponsaid bottom portion, means engaging the can to hold the can upon saidbottom portion and against said vertical portion, and a laterallyextending arm secured to said vertical portion intermediate the endsthereof, and extending laterally therefrom, said laterally extending armhaving a hook shaped extremity designed to engage over a side edge ofthe ladder.

. 2. The structure described in claim 1 and in which the means forholding the can in place comprises a band secured to said verticalmember intermediate the ends thereof and extending forwardly therefrom.

3. The structure described in claim 1 and in which the means for holdingthe can in place includes a split band secured intermediate its ends tosaid vertically extending portion intermediate the ends thereof, andincluding means for holding the ends of the split band together.

4. The structure described in claim 1 and in which the means for holdingthe can in place includes a hook shaped end on said forwardly extendingfinger designed to extend into the can at the upper end thereof.

5. The structure described in claim 1 and including a rearwardly curvedconnecting portion between said bottom portion and said verticallyextending portion to accommodate an enlarged bead at the lower end ofthe can side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,288,839 Conrad Dec. 24, 1918 1,593,043 Stroecker July 20,1926 1,811,065 Stroebel June 23, 1931 1,852,347 Getz Apr. 5, 19322,412,567 Dodd Dec. 1'7, 1946 2,541,390 Weigand Feb. 13, 1951 2,541,434Nelson et al. Feb. 13, 1951 2,564,411 Shinneman Aug. 14, 1951

